Publications
The Center for Automotive Research is involved in the research of significant issues that relate to the future direction of the global automotive industry. As a nonprofit research organization, and in cooperation with study funders, most CAR research is released publicly through this website.
Technology Roadmaps: Intelligent Mobility Technology; Materials and Manufacturing Processes; and Light Duty Vehicle Propulsion
Major technological advances to both products and manufacturing processes are accelerating innovation throughout the automotive industry. To capture the scope of these technologies, CAR has developed a technology roadmap for the automotive sector to provide a broad understanding of technology trends throughout the industry from current year to beyond 2030….
Mixed Material Joining – Advancements and Challenges
The global emphasis on reducing carbon emission is pushing automakers to improve the fuel economy of their vehicle fleet. Vehicle performance (acceleration, road noise, vibrations, steering response, et cetera) and comfort features which also need to be improved every model year to meet customer expectations. Vehicle weight reduction, also called…
New Materials/New Skills for Automotive Skilled Trades
CAR has completed research on the impact of new materials on skilled trades training and apprenticeship needs. Designing, analyzing, and building automotive tools, dies, molds, jigs, and fixtures to form the wide array of new and advanced materials being deployed in current and future vehicles are changing skill needs not…
Planning for Connected and Automated Vehicles
Connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies have the potential to improve safety, alter transport costs, impact traffic patterns and congestion and fundamentally change mobility around the world. Though full deployment of CAVs is years away at best, government officials, planners, and economic developers are beginning to consider the potential influences…
NAFTA Briefing: Trade benefits to the automotive industry and potential consequences of withdrawal from the agreement
This briefing outlines the benefits of NAFTA to the automotive industry, consumers, and the economy as a whole, as well as the potential consequences of unilateral withdraw by the U.S.
International Scan of Connected and Automated Vehicle Technology Deployment Efforts
Connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology development is now a global phenomenon. In just the last few years, research and pilot projects have proliferated rapidly across the world. Still, while research and development projects have become practically countless, operational deployment of CAV technology remains rare. Only a fraction of recently…
Review of NHTSA Proposal to Mandate V2V Communication for Safety
In December of 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding an addition to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards(FMVSS) that would require new light vehicles to include direct short-range communication (DSRC) technology for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V)…
Contribution of Toyota Motor North America to the Economies of Nineteen States and the United States in 2015
This study estimates the employment and economic contribution of Toyota Motor North America’s operations and activities. The analysis includes detailed economic contribution results including employment, pay, and tax contributions to the overall U.S. economy, as well as the economies of 19 individual states.
Material Qualification in the Automotive Industry
This whitepaper explains the material qualification process in the automotive industry and explores opportunities for process improvements.
The Economic Implications of Potential NHTSA and EPA Regulatory Revisions on U.S. Light Truck Sales and Manufacturing
This report estimates the economic and financial contributions of U.S. light truck sales and production, and discusses the regulatory challenges facing the 11 manufacturers who produce light trucks in the United States.